Show Notes
Everyone knows that the pandemic has affected a lot of things but you might be surprised to know that it may have even affected speech development. Research suggests that babies born since the pandemic started are speaking less.
What does this mean? What’s causing these delays? What can be done about it?
Today’s guests are Dr. Jill Gilkerson, Chief Research and Evaluation Officer at LENA, and Barb Lito, a GrowSmart Coordinator for the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Listen to the episode to hear what they have to say about these findings, what they mean for future school readiness, what surprised them, and what parents and educators can do going forward.
Topics Discussed in This Episode
- [00:00:22] Today’s guests
- [00:02:50] LENA’s findings that babies born after the pandemic are talking less
- [00:08:23] The causes of these delays
- [00:09:34] Barb’s experiences and what she’s seen on the ground
- [00:11:52] What the pandemic’s effects on teachers looked like for children
- [00:13:35] How the educators’ masks affected children
- [00:15:39] What LENA’s findings mean for future school readiness
- [00:19:59] What was surprising in the LENA report
- [00:24:06] The impact of descriptive language and supportive interactions
- [00:26:27] Ways that parents and educators can support young children impacted by the pandemic
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